MSS: Haley Lips

Haley Lips is on the verge of breaking out into a top swimmer in the butterfly and distance freestyle events. On today's show she talks about how attending Indiana University could help that and what her goals are for 2012.

Show Transcript: (Note: This is an automated service where some typos and grammatical errors may occur.)

Peter Busch: This is the Morning Swim Show for Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011. I'm your host Peter Busch in the FINIS Monitor. Today we will talk to Haley Lips. She is one of the best high school swimmers in the country right now and she joins us in the FINIS monitor from her home in Greenville, South Carolina. Hey Haley, welcome to the Morning Swim Show. How are you?

Haley Lips: Doing good. How about yourself?

Peter Busch: Doing well, thank you. So I saw that you signed with Indiana. Congratulations on making that decision.

Haley Lips: Thank you very much. I'm really excited.

Peter Busch: How's a girl from South Carolina decide to head up north to Indiana?

Haley Lips: Well, I'm from South Bend, Indiana, originally, so Indiana is always attractive to me of course because I love going back up home. I also like fell in love with the campus of Bloomington. It is gorgeous up there so it was a really easy choice.

Peter Busch: Well again, congrats on making the choice, that is a great signing for Coach Looze. Well, how was your State Meet? I know you just had High School State Meet there in South Carolina.

Haley Lips: Honestly it was fun and there is a lot of energy. My high school recently moved up to a different division I guess you would say 4A in South Carolina and we got second place, the girls team did overall so that was fun and I swam the 200 free and 100 butterfly and I got first place in those, so that was really exciting.

Peter Busch: 1:50-point in the 200 free that is a great swim.

Haley Lips: Thank you very much.

Peter Busch: Were you shaved and tapered?

Haley Lips: Not at all. We had actually just started getting back into like club swimming. I have only been in club swimming for about a week before the High School State Meet so those are pretty shocking swim for myself but it was fun to race.

Peter Busch: Yeah because there wasn't too far removed from world junior university games I lose track of the names of these things, in Peru right where you were a swimmer?

Haley Lips: Right, I think it was only about a month or so maybe even less after so I was kind of on a little tiny break after that.

Peter Busch: What's that like going from swimming in a major international meet you know halfway around the world to then having to come back and maybe not to say that high school state needs not exciting and fun but I mean it is obviously a different level.

Haley Lips: Yes, it is. Going to Peru with all the excitement and seeing all the other countries and swimming against people who may not even speak your language is a lot of fun and having team USA behind you is crazy exciting, but then you come back home and you are swimming with your friends that you go to school with. It is just— it is a completely different atmosphere. Both equally exciting, but in different ways.

Peter Busch: Now your Coach Peter Wright was on the coaching staff that went to Peru.

Haley Lips: Yes.

Peter Busch: Would you say that helped you? I know some swimmers like it when the coach is there but some feel like it is a lot of pressure, how did you feel?

Haley Lips: Well Pete's a very energetic guy so it was really nice to have him there. He really brought some extra life to the team. He was really like one of the boys there who is very energetic and helping to lead cheers but when it came down to coaching he did his job. He is a great coach. I love swimming for him and it was really nice to have him in Peru with me.

Peter Busch: What do you like to do outside the pool?

Haley Lips: Well right now my dad and I, we have season tickets to our local ice hockey team thing and so we'll go watch them whenever they are playing in town sometimes they are out of town like right now they will be gone for about 2 weeks, but they will be back in December and we will be at that game and then following games so that is what I do right now besides swimming.

Peter Busch: Now you are not lacing up the skates yourself are you?

Haley Lips: No, not at all. I haven't hurt myself if I try to get on skates, no.

Peter Busch: You are much too good of a swimmer for that Haley, don't worry you wouldn't be the first swimmer to pass on certain land or ice activities. What do you want to study when you go to Indiana I should ask?

Haley Lips: Well I am really interested in biology, anything biology really. More towards the medical side. I like to help people. I'm also very interested right now in physical therapy, because I like to help people, and I'd love to help recover, and also because I swam, I like sports so it would be really fun to help sports injuries and all that recovery nonsense.

Peter Busch: Thanksgiving plans? Do you do anything special?

Haley Lips: Nothing, really. We just kind of have a normal Thanksgiving dinner. I might be going to my aunt's house who lives two minutes down the street. But, I don't know yet. So, we'll see.

Peter Busch: Well have a great holiday and good luck the rest of this year and heading into next year.

Haley Lips: Thank you very much.

Peter Busch: Alright that's Haley Lips joining us in the FINIS Monitor today and that is it for today's show. We want to wish everyone in America a happy Thanksgiving and whoever celebrates it throughout the world, have a very nice holiday weekend. I'm Peter Busch reminding you to keep your head down at the finish.